Daily Archives: 10/05/2015

New research released today shows that areas with the highest levels of alcohol harm, often in areas of high socio-economic deprivation, are most likely to be reducing funding for alcohol treatment. That is one of the findings from the final ‘Measure of Change’ report by Alcohol Concern – funded by Alcohol Research UK – looking at the effect that the transfer of public health responsibly to local authorities has had on alcohol services

• In 2014-15, one-third of local authorities report increases in funding for alcohol services and activity, and four-fifths report that funding either increased or remained the same. Two-thirds of local authorities are confident that funding will not decrease over the next three years.

• Most local authorities anticipate that the proportion of substance misuse budget spent on alcohol will increase or remain stable in coming years.

• Local authorities tackling high levels of alcohol harm were far more likely to report reductions in funding for alcohol services and activity than areas with lower needs. In 2014-15, half of all areas surveyed with high alcohol harms reported reductions, a rise from 10% the previous year. In both years, lower alcohol harm areas reported no funding

• Over the coming years, at least half of all local authorities, Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and treatment providers in areas with high levels of local alcohol harms

anticipate decreases. Local authorities and CCGs in high alcohol harm areas are more pessimistic about future funding than those in medium or lower harm areas.

• Most CCGs reported that they do not fund alcohol services or activity. In 2014-15, four-fifths of CCGs reported that they did not fund – up from two-thirds in 2013-14. However, some CCGs work closely with local authorities to tackle alcohol whilst not directly funding.

• Many treatment providers feel that the nature of alcohol services may be changing to reflect a wider population approach to alcohol misuse: high delivery levels of

Identification and Brief Advice and drop-in sessions may reflect this shift.

• Eight out of ten local authorities and CCGs have alcohol as a named priority in their Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategy, and similar numbers have undertaken a detailed analysis of alcohol needs in their area.